2 Colleges In Newark Name New Presidents: Pillar, Essex County – Newark, NJ Patch

NEWARK, NJ — A pair of colleges with campuses in Newark recently named new presidents.

Pillar College will be headed by Rupert Hayles Jr.; Essex County College’s new president is Augustine Boakye. Both were appointed by their respective school trustee boards.

PILLAR COLLEGE

Pillar College, the only evangelical Christian college in New Jersey, has announced the appointment of Hayles as president.

Hayles succeeds David Schroeder, who recently was named chancellor of the college.

“I really believe that with an education, one can impact the world in significant ways,” Hayles said.

“As a young man, my dad worked in the maintenance department of Sears, Roebuck and Company,” Hayles recalled. “In 1989, his take-home pay for the family was $22,000. He told me, ‘Rupert, whenever you can get an education, get it.’ I have never forgotten those words, and it is with them that I have been on a journey to better myself through education.”

Prior to his appointment, Hayles had been COO and executive vice president of Pillar College since 2019. Hayles’ career also includes more than 25 years in strategic management for organizations including Cytec Industries, Prudential Financial, Christ Church, and Merck & Company.

According to a news release from the college, in his previous role at Pillar, Hayles was responsible for organizational, operational, strategic and financial planning to achieve and maintain budget compliance and financial stability at the college. In that capacity, Hayles helped Pillar successfully navigate fallout and financial uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Pillar College now offers hybrid learning, both in-person and online.

Hayles received his doctorate from Regent University. The subject of his Ph.D. dissertation was “organizational leadership and organization behavior,” with an emphasis on the linkage between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Christian virtues (Fruit of the Spirit) as it relates to leaders in organizations. Hayles also has received an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the field of Finance and Decision Sciences, and a B.S. in Accounting and Information Technology from Seton Hall University.

His professional experience includes more than 25 years in strategic management. In addition, Hayles served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, and is the author of several books, including: “Practical Strategy: Aligning Business with Information Technology and Emotional Intelligence and the Church.”

“The Board of Trustees was unanimous in choosing Dr. Rupert Hayles to succeed Dr. David Schroeder as President of Pillar College,” said chairman Tim Schmidt, who is also the senior vice president/chief investment officer of Prudential Financial Incorporated.

“We are confident in his ability to lead Pillar forward as we grow in our mission as the only Christ-centered evangelical college in New Jersey,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt added that the board wishes to publicly recognize Schroeder for his leadership over the last 14 years, and is “thrilled that he will continue to be involved with Pillar by accepting the role of chancellor.”

ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE

Essex County College, which has campuses in Newark and West Caldwell, recently announced that its board of trustees appointed Augustine Boakye as its ninth president. His selection took place after a national search, trustees said.

Boakye has served as interim president since July of 2020. He assumed the position permanently on Nov. 1, 2021.

“I am both humbled and honored to have been selected as president of this outstanding college by the Board of Trustees,” Boakye said.

According to the college, Boakye started his Essex County College career in 2009 as an assistant professor of economics. In 2013, he was named chair of the Division of Business. Prior to becoming interim president, he served as acting dean of liberal arts and business, while also continuing his role as business division chair.

Boakye earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. He also has a master of arts degree in education from Brunel University, in London, and a bachelor of education in social sciences and economics from the University of Cape Coast, in Ghana.

According to a news release, Boakye’s additional qualifications include:

“While serving as Business Division Chair, Dr. Boakye spearheaded efforts in securing accreditation from the International Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), one of only two community colleges in the state to be so recognized. He championed the creation of new academic programs such as the A.S. in Finance, A.S. in Supply Chain Management (SCM), Certificate in SCM/Logistics and Business Professional Certificate. He also introduced a Business Week program where students learn about career opportunities. His Business Plan Competition initiative enabled students to develop a specific entrepreneur idea judged by business professionals.”

In addition:

“Since serving as interim president, Boakye oversaw the opening of the College Welcome Center and the groundbreaking for the new 51,700 square foot West Essex campus building. He worked with Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. to open a COVID testing and then vaccination site in the college’s Gymnasium. He welcomed ice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Phil Murphy, DiVincenzo and other state officials on a tour of the vaccination site to promote the importance of being vaccinated.”

Boakye has also been a recipient of the International Teaching Excellence Award from the ACBSP.

“We look forward to a long and productive relationship with our new president, one that will certainly continue to put students first,” Board of Trustees chair Marion Bolden said. “We welcome Dr. Boakye’s leadership as we enter the next chapter of Essex County College’s history.”